Zika cases expected to be limited in Indiana

Owners of Mosquitoes B-Gone Angela and David Simons. (Submitted photo)

By Mark Ambrogi

Mosquitoes Be Gone owner David Simons doesn’t expect any major outbreak of the Zika virus in Indiana.

The Zika virus is primarily spread by the Aedes aegypi mosquitoes.

“The reason the professionals don’t think Zika is going to make it into Indiana very much is they (the mosquitoes) don’t do winter very well,” said Simons, a Fishers resident who co-owns the business with his wife, Angela. “They don’t continue to multiply (in cold weather). When you go to Louisiana or Florida, they multiply like crazy all year around. Therefore, they’ll get that mosquito down there a lot more than we will.”

Simons said the Aedes aegypi mosquitoes are slow movers, but will likely get to Indiana.

“It’s going to very limited,” Simons said. “It is a scary thing from what Zika does compared to West Nile. It attacks kids.”

The biggest threat is pregnant women passing the virus to their fetus, and the effects it might have. The virus has been linked to microcephaly in infants whose mother contacted the virus. Simons said adults are getting Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder where your body’s immune system attacks your nervous system, from Zika.

“If you are healthy and get West Nile, you get flu symptoms and that’s about it,” Simons said.

Simons said a big part of what his business does is inspect properties, removing breeding sites and treating. All mosquitoes lay their eggs in water.

“The Aedes aegypi breed in low grounds so they breed under your deck, in your flower pots, in your kids’ toys that have water in them, in your gutters,” said Simons, who has been treating yards for more than five years.

Pool covers and tarps can also hold water, creating a breeding ground.

“It takes seven days to breed so if you get rid of that water, you’re not creating a breeding ground,” Simons said. “People forget about their bird baths. You just have to put in clean water every seven days. They forgot about kiddie pools. I’ve seen thousands and thousands of larva and mosquitoes (in them) when I go to treat yards.”